It seems like fighting game fans can’t get enough of Samurai Shodown, and SNK can’t seem to stop releasing it on new platforms. On their quest to release the game on every platform, the developer has recently brought the fighter to PC. After fighting my way through many online matches, I have come to the conclusion that Samura Shodown on PC is the best way to play.
Coming from the Switch version was a real eye-opener for me after booting Samurai Shodown on PC. Sure, I found it to be fun and stable on the console hybrid, but there’s a substantial dip in graphics to achieve that. The PC release gives you access to a few different resolution options, including 4K support. It highlights each of the character’s most defining features and gives their movements a sense of presence as you size up your opponent.
You begin to understand that you’re playing a polished version when booting it off of an SSD. The loading times are significantly cut down as I played match after match. Furthermore, the online matchups held a consistent connection, and I never had an issue finding an opponent. Everything in this version is responsive and gorgeous whereas you need to make exceptions in some of the console releases, this version really just gives you the full package.
The gripes you have with other versions of Samura Shodown will still be present, the story mode is lacking, and a lot of the newer content is behind DLC paywalls now. However, the fighter holds up with what it offers, but if you didn’t like the console versions, you probably wouldn’t like this release.
As for the base version of Samura Shodown, I’d say that if you are planning on picking up the game now, you should think about also picking up the character pass along with it. I do wish that this PC release including some of the DLC content, but it looks like you’ll need to buy the passes or stand-alone characters.
I wouldn’t consider myself an avid fighting game player on a casual or competitive level. However, I’ve found a lot of enjoyment in Samura Shodown’s systems and characters that keep me coming back. There’s a sense of timing that you need to understand during a fight, and it takes a bit more than mindless button presses to achieve some of the more visually pleasing results. Well, now that I actually think about it, it’s probably just the waifus.
Samura Shodown released in 2019 to great success that it’s still finding halfway into 2020. I’m excited that the developers are continually supporting the release with new characters and balances, and I plan to be there for the entirety of it all. The PC version is my new go-to version to play, and I hope to see you in the online matches as I improve my Iroha skills.
